Baptist & Reflector

Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835

DOG’S UNCONDITIONAL LOVE PRESENTS JESUS

By Connie Davis Bushey
News Editor, Baptist and Reflector

Angela Wood, left, of Darden and Frank Bologna, right, of Knoxville enjoy a visit from Molly, a therapy dog, and her owner Ron Leonard of Canines for Christ at the Memorial Foundation Hope Lodge of the American Cancer Society in Nashville. Wood’s husband Kevin and Bologna are staying at the lodge while undergoing cancer treatments.

Angela Wood, left, of Darden and Frank Bologna, right, of Knoxville enjoy a visit from Molly, a therapy dog, and her owner Ron Leonard of Canines for Christ at the Memorial Foundation Hope Lodge of the American Cancer Society in Nashville. Wood’s husband Kevin and Bologna are staying at the lodge while undergoing cancer treatments.

NASHVILLE — The presence of Molly, a therapy dog, still amazes her owner, Ron Leonard. With her big brown eyes she looks at people and then waits for them to approach her, which is key if they are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or an illness.

As Molly waits to be a friend to these people, they don’t hesitate to approach her, partly because she is wearing her Canines for Christ vest. Most pet her which she doesn’t just endure but enjoys, explained Leonard.

Leonard and Molly are always ready to respond to needs, he said.

After an 11-year-old girl was shot and died Aug. 9 in Hendersonville, Leonard e-mailed the girl’s school to offer a visit by Molly to the girl’s fellow students. Molly was a great help to students at the Fayetteville school nearly destroyed by a tornado in 2014, added Leonard. [Read more…]

Facebooktwittermail

FUTURE BRIGHT FOR IMB, PREDICTS SCOTT HARRIS

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

Scott Harris, missions minister at Brentwood Baptist Church, Brentwood, will serve as chairman of the trustees of the Southern Baptist International Mission Board for the coming year.

Scott Harris, missions minister at Brentwood Baptist Church, Brentwood, will serve as chairman of the trustees of the Southern Baptist International Mission Board for the coming year.

BRENTWOOD — As Scott Harris enters his eighth and final year as a trustee of the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board, he has witnessed a lot of change.

He became a trustee in 2009 just after the economy had bottomed out. He has served with three different presidents (Jerry Rankin, Tom Elliff, and David Platt) in addition to Clyde Meador who served in an interim role.

What’s more, the IMB has had to deal with drastic changes in denominational life and throughout the world. Any one of those would be hard enough to deal with, but “all of them at the same time is significant,” said Harris, who will lead the IMB trustees as chair in his final year of service.

He considers it an honor to serve as chair. He is an “MK” (missionary kid) and he also served as an IMB missionary in the United Kingdom and Hong Kong. He has been the missions minister at Brentwood Baptist Church, Brentwood, since 2002. [Read more…]

Facebooktwittermail

HOPE BEYOND THE RAZOR WIRE

By Chris Turner
Director of Communications, TBC

Dale Lusk, right, baptizes Anthony (last name withheld) during a service at Swannsylvania Baptist Church, Dandridge. Volunteers from Swannsylvania and New Market Baptist Church, New Market, invest more than 180 hours per month ministering to boys detained for various crimes. More than 30 boys have been baptized in three years and more are scheduled for baptism this fall. Assisting is prison team member Lonnie Cloninger, also from Swannsylvania Baptist. — Photo by David LaMar

Dale Lusk, right, baptizes Anthony (last name withheld) during a service at Swannsylvania Baptist Church, Dandridge. Volunteers from Swannsylvania and New Market Baptist Church, New Market, invest more than 180 hours per month ministering to boys detained for various crimes. More than 30 boys have been baptized in three years and more are scheduled for baptism this fall. Assisting is prison team member Lonnie Cloninger, also from Swannsylvania Baptist.
— Photo by David LaMar

DANDRIDGE — It is a familiar routine. First there is the sizzling sound of an obnoxious buzzer, then the sudden firing of a heavy deadbolt that unlocks the gray steel door separating freedom from incarceration. The closing slam reverberates down the gray cinderblock hall sending an authoritative reminder that freedom is not an option. Freedom was forfeited three felonies ago.

Buzz. Fire. Open. Slam.

Buzz. Fire. Open. Slam.

All day. Buzz. Fire. Open. Slam.

The blast of the buzzer has no effect on Dale Lusk, however. He doesn’t even flinch at its sound. The process is routine after hundreds of visits. Lusk’s focus lies beyond the door. Like the certainty of God’s own mercy, he knows there is a boy waiting for him to enter a world secured by the looping coils of concertina wire. [Read more…]

Facebooktwittermail

FORMER TBC PRESIDENT HERBERT HIGDON DIES

Baptist and Reflector

Herbert Higdon

Herbert Higdon

JACKSON — Herbert R. Higdon, 89, died Aug. 16 in Jackson. He was retired director of missions, Madison-Chester Baptist Association/Crockett County Baptist Association, based in Jackson from 1982-94.

Higdon was president of the Tennessee Baptist Convention in 1997 and a member of the Executive Board of the Tennessee Baptist Convention and board of Union University, Jackson, of which he was an alumnus. Higdon also was a graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas, and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisiville, Ky., from which he earned a doctor of ministry. [Read more…]

Facebooktwittermail

STATE DR, OTHERS RESPOND TO LOUISIANA FLOODING

UPDATED 8/22/16

By Connie Davis Bushey
News Editor, Baptist and Reflector

The home of Lonnie Tucker, pastor of Still Waters Baptist Church in Hammond, LA. Photo: Lonnie Tucker

Home of the pastor of Still Waters Baptist Church in Hammond, LA.   Photo: Lonnie Tucker

MOUNT JULIET — Two Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief shower trailer units are serving flood victims in Louisiana and Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief teams who are willing to do mud out are needed, said Wes Jones, director of Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief.

Also, assessors and chaplain units are needed, added Jones. If the mud out or flood recovery teams have equipment, that would be helpful. Trained volunteers are preferred but not required in this case,  Jones said.

The situation is that most of the experienced and readily available Tennessee Baptist DR volunteers have responded a lot this year and some are still serving in Rainelle, W.Va., said Jones. [Read more…]

Facebooktwittermail

SHARING JESUS CHRIST IN THE MARKETPLACE

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

Robby Cardwell stands in front of his merchandise at his booth in Clarkrange held in conjunction with the 127 Yard Sale. For the past three years Cardwell has preached a message for vendors and others at a special Sunday church service on site. — Photo by Lexi Cardwell

Robby Cardwell stands in front of his merchandise at his booth in Clarkrange held in conjunction with the 127 Yard Sale. For the past three years Cardwell has preached a message for vendors and others at a special Sunday church service on site.
— Photo by Lexi Cardwell

CLARKRANGE — When it comes to sharing the love of Jesus Christ in the marketplace, Robby Cardwell has done it — literally.

What’s more, he has done it in one of the largest marketplaces in the nation (and maybe the world) — the (Highway) 127 Yard Sale.

The 127 Yard Sale is billed as “The World’s Longest Yard Sale” (according to its own website). The yard sale is 690 miles long and spans six states, starting in Addison, Mich., and ending in Gadsden, Ala. [Read more…]

Facebooktwittermail

TENNESSEE BAPTISTS PREPARE TO HELP IN LOUISIANA

TN Baptist Disaster Relief

Photo: NOAA.gov

Photo: NOAA.gov

Slow-moving storms are causing record flooding and significant damage as they move across South Louisiana. Thousands of residents have evacuated, at least three people have died and there is significant property damage and loss to more than 50,000 homes. At least three interstates are closed by the flooding of the Amite River and much of Louisiana State University’s campus is covered by water.

The rising water is the result of more than 27 inches of rainfall over a 36-hour period near the city of Baker, just northeast of Baton Rouge. [Read more…]

Facebooktwittermail

CAPTIONING FOR THE HARD OF HEARING

man-suit-touchscreen-captioningCHATTANOOGA — “Now we’re offering ‘writing on the wall,’” said David Harrison, somewhat facetiously, referring both to the time God did just that  (see Daniel 5) and to captioning for hard of hearing people.

“It’s incredible.”

Recently The Access Church premiered captioning of its Sunday morning worship service, Harrison reported. The use of the technology is rare, certainly in churches, said Harrison. Captioning is mostly available at the University of Tennessee – Chattanooga and other colleges with programs for hard of hearing students. [Read more…]

Facebooktwittermail

NEARLY 90 YEARS OLD, CORLEY KEEPS SERVING

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

Damon Corley, left, pastor of West Fentress Baptist Church, Jamestown, visits with Chris Ward, director of missions for Riverside Baptist Association, based in Livingston.

Damon Corley, left, pastor of West Fentress Baptist Church, Jamestown, visits with Chris Ward, director of missions for Riverside Baptist Association, based in Livingston.

LIVINGSTON — Damon Corley will be 90 years old in November, but you would never know it by looking at him.

Still spry and active, Corley is not only the pastor of West Fentress Baptist Church in Jamestown, he also just recently accepted the role of associate moderator of Riverside Baptist Association, based in Livingston. He has been the moderator of the association before and would be in line for another term if elected in October.

“He has more energy than many of our young pastors,” observed Chris Ward, director of missions for Riverside Association. [Read more…]

Facebooktwittermail

FORMER CTB LEADER CHARLES BAILEY RETIRES

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

Charles Bailey and his wife Joann pause before Bailey’s last sermon on July 24 at Laurel Bank Baptist Church in Friendsville prior to his retirement.

Charles Bailey and his wife Joann pause before Bailey’s last sermon on July 24 at Laurel Bank Baptist Church in Friendsville prior to his retirement.

FRIENDSVILLE — Mention the name Charles Bailey in the Tennessee Baptist Convention and some people remember him as one of the primary leaders of Concerned Tennessee Baptists during the mid-1990s and early 2000s.

Concerned Tennessee Baptists was a conservative organization comprised of Baptists across the state concerned about what was happening in the state convention, primarily at the educational institutions. The organization, which helped elect a number of TBC presidents, eventually disbanded because of satisfaction with the direction the convention was headed.

Mention Bailey’s name at Laurel Bank Baptist Church here and everyone will remember him as a loving pastor and friend.

Bailey, 69, preached his last sermon at Laurel Bank on Sunday, July 24, as he stepped into retirement. [Read more…]

Facebooktwittermail

Address

4017 Rural Plains Circle
Franklin, TN 37064

Contact Information

Mail: Baptist & Reflector, P.O. Box 682789, Franklin, TN 37068
Physical Address: 4017 Rural Plains Circle, Franklin, TN 37064
Email: bandr@tnbaptist.org
Phone: 615-371-2003

2025 © The Baptist and Reflector. All Right Reserved.